The BBC has asked Huw Edwards to return his salary following his recent charges relating to images of child abuse.
Edwards, 62, pleaded guilty in court last month (July 31) to three charges of making indecent photographs of children. He admitted to having 41 illegal images, which were sent to him by the convicted paedophile Alex Williams – seven of which being of the most serious type. Two are reported to show a child aged between about seven and nine.
The BBC later said it was “shocked” by the news and clarified that he would have been fired if he had been charged before leaving the corporation three months ago. “There can be no place for such abhorrent behaviour and our thoughts are with all those affected,” it added.
Edwards could now face a jail sentence, and will next appear in court on September 16.
The broadcaster was first suspected by the BBC last July and an investigation was held after allegations emerged of sexual misconduct. Police found no evidence of criminal conduct on those allegations.
In April, Edwards resigned from the BBC following “medical advice”. After the initial reports last July, his wife revealed he had been hospitalised with “serious mental health issues”, and his resignation was at the time said to be based on his doctors’ suggestions.
During that time, the newsreader continued to earn his salary for five months after he was arrested. He did not resign from the BBC until the end of April. The BBC have now released a board statement in which they confirmed that they have asked Edwards to return £200,000 of his salary.
The statement read: “There is nothing more important than the public’s trust in the BBC; the BBC Board is the custodian of that trust.
“The Board has met a number of times over the last week to review information provided by the Executive relating to Huw Edwards. The Board’s focus has been principally around two issues. Firstly, what was known in the lead up to Mr Edwards being charged and pleading guilty last Wednesday to making indecent images of children; and, secondly, the specifics of the BBC’s handling of the complaints and the BBC’s own investigations into Mr Edwards, prior to his resignation on 22 April 2024.
“The Board has reviewed the details provided with regard to both series of events. On these, the Board supports the decisions taken by the Director-General and his team during this period. These decisions were based on taking into account a range of factors including: the BBC’s legal and contractual obligations; the knowledge the BBC had at the time; duty of care concerns; and, due regard for the accountability that the BBC has for public money. The Executive has agreed to look at lessons from this period, including the BBC’s approach to the rules surrounding payments when employees are suspended.”
They added: “Today, the Board has authorised the Executive to seek the return of salary paid to Mr Edwards from the time he was arrested in November last year. Mr Edwards pleaded guilty to an appalling crime. Had he been up front when asked by the BBC about his arrest, we would never have continued to pay him public money. He has clearly undermined trust in the BBC and brought us into disrepute.
“Whilst the nature of the charges against Mr Edwards is related to his own personal life, the Board believes these events have also put a spotlight on the question of power imbalances in the workplace. We remain concerned about the potential for inappropriate workplace behaviour, particularly in creative and editorial environments. Whilst challenges related to power imbalances in the workplace are a challenge for multiple employers, the BBC must hold itself to the highest standards.
“The BBC has clearly articulated Values and a strong Code of Conduct and there has been much progress in recent years. That said, the Board will commission an independent review that will make recommendations on practical steps that could strengthen a workplace culture in line with BBC Values. The review will include work already being undertaken within the BBC, as well as working with the rest of the industry as appropriate. We will set out terms of reference and leadership of this review in early September.”
The culture secretary Lisa Nandy welcomed the review, saying “public trust in the BBC is essential”. Last week, Nandy said Edwards should return his salary to the BBC.
She added: “BBC staff must be able to feel safe in the workplace and be confident that if non-editorial complaints are raised they will be acted upon and dealt with fairly and decisively” (via BBC).
According to the BBC, Between April 2023 and April 2024, Edwards received a salary between £475,000-£479,999.
NME has contacted representatives of Edwards for comment.
Edwards was reportedly the BBC’s highest-paid newsreader, having covered some of the biggest global news stories of the last three decades. Some of these events included the inauguration of Barack Obama, the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton, and the announcement of the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
Between 1994 and 2003, Edwards presented the BBC Six O’Clock News, which was at the time the most-watched news programme in the United Kingdom. According to the BBC, he received between £435,000 and £439,000 in the year 2022/23.
Meanwhile, the BBC has removed an episode of Doctor Who featuring Edwards from the iPlayer streaming service.
The 2006 episode named ‘Fear Her’ included a scene in which David Tennant’s Doctor travelled into the future to the London 2012 Olympics opening ceremony, and Edwards’ voice is heard commentating on the event.
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